Don’t call it a comeback…

Over the course of decades, a lot of people have called Dylan a lot of different things, but I don’t think that any credible person could ever have called him a quitter, and yet a lot of critics refer to “Blood on the Tracks” as a ‘comeback’ album.

Where is he coming back from? Some would have you believe that he hid himself in exile after releasing “Blonde on Blonde” in 1966, but he released seven albums in that interim, and that is without counting the (subsequently released) Basement Tape recordings, or his live album with the Band from 1974. Were these self-righteous, self-important blowhards not paying attention? Were they being deliberately ignorant? Were they stupid? Even at the time of its release, critics used words like “shoddy”, “incompetent” and “trashy”. Hell, I wouldn’t have blamed Dylan if he did try to get away from the judgmental negativity that was relentlessly thrown in his face. There are innumerable reasons to respect the artistry of “Blood on the Tracks”, but his fortitude and strong-willed manner of retaining his independence may be the true miracle of what makes this particular album so beloved over time. But don’t call it a ’comeback’.

Feature Tracks:

Tangled Up in Blue (New York version)

Tangled Up in Blue

Simple Twist of Fate

You’re a Big Girl Now ( take 3 – solo – NY version)

You’re a Big Girl Now

Idiot Wind

January 1975 - Billboard Charted #1